During a recent appearance on “The Masked Man Show” podcast, Oba Femi discussed his favorite wrestlers from his childhood, naming CM Punk, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels.
Femi also expressed his appreciation for the advice he receives from Punk.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On his favorite wrestlers to watch while growing up: “My favorite was Triple H. To this day, it’s Triple H. Shawn Michaels was up there for me. I’m not just putting over my bosses. CM Punk was a favorite. Broke my heart when he went away.”
On receiving advice from CM Punk: “I get to talk to Phil a lot when he comes down here. Ask him how he’s doing, he asks me how I’m doing. He gives me advice. It’s different when you get advice from someone who is actively still in it. That way it’s confirmed because they’re moving with the time along with you. Sometimes, when you talk to the old timers and they give you advice, it’s like, ‘Yes, but maybe then might now work now.’ It’s still good advice, it’s not wrong, it’s just a different time and place. When Punk gives me advice, I cherish it. I cherish it so much.”
On explaining to his parents he wanted to get into wrestling: “[Wrestling was] easy to explain because imagine having to explain to your parents that you are going to go throw a metal ball [shot put] as far as you can for a living.”
On his quick success in the business: “No one ever [expects immediate success]. If they said they did, they lied. It was never a question of my capabilities as a performer. I’ve always known eventually I would get this thing down.”
On what The Rock told him backstage at NXT New Year’s Evil: “I’ve come around at a very opportune time when big-man wrestling is not the main thing. It’s become like a niche, almost a lost art because everyone’s doing Canadian Destroyers and everyone’s high flying and everyone’s spring-boarding, trying to pop the crowd. … It’s refreshing that the fans get to see an Oba Femi who comes in and stays on the ground and is physical and fires up and is riled up. I think people miss that… [The Rock] said, ‘Good job, great match. Can’t wait to see you on the main roster.’”
During a recent appearance on the “No Holds Barred” podcast, Natalya discussed Penta’s WWE RAW debut against Chad Gable and shared some backstage details surrounding the match.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On her husband TJ Wilson’s (aka Tyson kidd) reaction to Penta vs. Chad Gable: “TJ, my husband, who’s also as you guys know a producer in WWE — TJ, we came home, we watched it again, we watched Gable vs. Penta again and TJ said to me, ‘I think Gable is the best wrestler in the entire world.’ TJ is very much, I feel like he’s kind of a savant when it comes to wrestling, he’s studied it since he was a child, he’s really just like a connoisseur. He’s like, ‘Gable is phenomenal.’”
On Penta’s charisma in the ring: “Of course, Penta I think shocked everybody with — he’s not just an amazing luchador, he has so much personality. He’s just oozing charisma and he’s wearing a mask, but you can feel his energy.”
